A/N: Woooooo right on schedule! (even if i dont have one I just mean that it didnt take a whole month to post another chapter)

So I'm only 17 reviews short of my grand goal of 50 reviews before August, and so I'm literally begging you to help me get there! Reviews will help me get the chapters up earlier so I think that's a fair win-win situation!

Enjoy this next installment and lemme know what you think! As always, responses to reviews waaaay down below!

Chapter 12

At The Stroke of Death

I took a deep breath, stretched, then yawned. I then curled into the blanket some more, draping it over my face to shield myself from the breeze.

"Rise and shine, beautiful." Seth's voice came from before me, and I felt the chill on my face again.

I fluttered my eyes open, only to be greeted by big brown eyes staring back at me. Seth smiled warmly at me, his cheerful grin reaching up to the corners of his eyes. "As much as I enjoy laying by your side-"

"-Like my own doggyguard." I joked, smirking.

He gave me an amused look. "We have an army headed our way."

"They're here already?!" I panicked, sitting up then looking around and seeing that it was still dark out.

"They'll be coming soon. The sun's about to rise." He said, resting his hand on my knee to calm me down.

I sighed in relief. "Ok. Alright."

"I need to phase." Seth said, unzipping the tent.

I nodded. "I need to change, too."

"I'll wait for you out here." Seth said, heading out.

I changed as quickly as I could and braided my hair. I searched my duffel and took the big cup of yogurt out, tearing the aluminum seal. I then walked out of the tent and stretched, and light started to come our way.

Seth came out from behind the trees, his clothes in his mouth.

I smiled at him. "You look so adorable right now, Seth." I chuckled, taking his clothes and folding it. "Maybe if you weren't an oversized puppy, I'd find you more intimidating. Perhaps a rhino?" He rolled his eyes but grinned nonetheless at my quip.

Could you strap these onto my leg for me? I didn't want to stay out exposed for too long.

I chuckled, nodding. I then crouched down and took his belt and secured the clothes onto his left hind leg. I then stood and put my spoon in my yogurt cup, and he sniffed it curiously.

"Want some? It's meant for sharing." I asked, taking a spoonful and holding it up to his snout.

It's fine. I already ate. He thought. Had a sandwich while you were sleeping.

I nodded. "Alright then." I said, and glanced at my watch. "What time do you think they'll come?"

My guess is as good as yours. We might be waiting until nightfall. He admitted.

I sighed. "Well, damn." He nodded.

Just then, Jacob emerged from the tree line. He had a grim look on his face, but I could sense the shadow of a smile hidden underneath.

"Good, you're both here." He said, jumping down from a large rock.

"You kissed Bella? Again?" I asked, licking my spoon clean.

"Callie, seriously?" Jacob said, his façade broken.

"Dude, I'm reading Seth's thoughts and you two have pack telepathy." I said defensively, holding my spoon and yogurt cup up. "Not my fault it's in your brain."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Anyway, that wasn't any of your business-"

I took another spoonful. "Just cut to the chase."

"They're close."

I gasped. "Seriously? This early?"

"Better that we finish this as soon as possible." He said with a nod. Seth nodded firmly in agreement.

"Okay, so where do you want us?" I asked while scraping up the remains of my yogurt.

"I need you two with Bella. She could use all the protection she can get in case they reach here." He ordered.

Seth and I nodded. "And what about you?" I asked.

"I'm headed to battle." Jacob said sternly, and turned to walk away.

I grabbed his arm, and he looked back at me. "Be safe, okay? Don't do anything stupid. Same goes for the rest of the pack."

He nodded, and with a running start, phased.

I looked to Seth, and we walked together to the other side of the mountain after packing up our camp.

"So there's a probability that they'll come here, huh?" I asked, my hand on the scruff of his neck as we walked.

Seth nodded. Knowing that we have wolves on our side, they might actually have tracked our scent here.

"But, shouldn't the rain have at least washed the trail away? It's not like we splattered Jake's blood everywhere like in the field." I reasoned.

Our scent is very strong to vampire senses.

"Right, right. Why are you so much smarter on these things than I am, I mean, really. I'm older." I joked.

Oh, it's not me. Pack telepathy. He smiled.

I chuckled. "Right."

We reached the clearing where Bella and Edward were standing smack in the middle of.

"Good morning, Mr. and soon-to-be Mrs. Cullen." I greeted. "Or, bad morning. Whatever."

Bella gave me a small smile.

"Callie, why are you here? I thought I told you to stay on the other side." Edward strut up to me.

"And you did. But Jacob said for us to be with you guys in case." I argued.

Edward grabbed my arm. "You are not fighting."

Seth started to growl at Edward.

"But Seth might start with you." I snickered.

He let go forcefully and went back to Bella. "You're not fighting, but you could still be useful."

"You're such a utilitarian." I joked coolly, walking up to the biggest tree and jumping to climb it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Edward asked, unamused.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm climbing a damn tree." I said, perching myself onto a big branch pretty high up.

He read my thoughts. "Okay, fine, just — don't try anything stupid."

"I'm just keeping watch, jeez." I said, looking out for anything headed our way.

Seth's head perked up, and his ears moved to listen better. He ran to a spot closer to the field.

Edward took Bella into his arms while I continued to look around.

Seth returned a few moments later, with news that the battle just began.

"Jacob just got there. He's good." Edward said, and Seth went up to my tree and looked up to check on me.

"Don't pee on my tree." I joked. He sent me the most wolfish grin.

"Now's not the time." Edward chided.

I rolled my eyes. "Now's not the time." I mocked in a low-pitched voice.

Edward continued to read Seth's and in turn, the pack's thoughts. I could tell by the scrunched up look on his pale face.

"Someone's hurt?" Bella asked, watching Edward's facial expressions closely.

"She's close. I can hear her thoughts." He announced, and I whipped my head to look around.

"There! I saw something move!" I announced as well, pointing to an area far away. "Around three miles from here." I added, climbing up higher.

"Seth, go." Edward told him, and Seth disappeared behind a rock.

"She knew we weren't there, but she caught my scent. She knew you'd be with me." Edward said as Bella clung onto him.

"She found us." Bella whispered, and I continued to scan the area for any signs of where she might be.

"She's not alone." Edward added, just as somebody with brown hair and ruby-red eyes emerged from the trees.

I held my breath and covered myself with the branches, so I may be undetected. Good thing I chose to wear gray.

Edward began to speak to the teen, whose name was Riley. Victoria soon appeared as well, perched atop a boulder to the side of the clearing.

That's the guy who was on the news… the first victim, I thought. I decided to quietly move to the other side of the tree, to avoid detection better and to seek out a better vantage point.

"You're dead." I heard Riley say, and as he was about to attack, Seth jumped out from behind the rock and got to him first.

I gasped. Seth. I said a silent prayer as Victoria lunged for Bella as Edward taunted her.

They fought, and Edward flung her away — right at my tree.

Shit.

Alarmed, I climbed further up, just as she did. Edward took Bella and made her stay away, then pushed the tree and made it fall. I jumped just before it reached a full horizontal and I landed on another tree, closer to where Seth and Riley were this time.

As Edward got to Victoria, Riley managed to break free from Seth, and kicked him against a boulder.

I gasped and jumped down to reach him. "Seth." I whispered, touching his face.

He whimpered.

"You're going to be alright." I whispered, stroking his fur.

Help them out. He thought, and stopped moving.

"Seth? Seth?!" I asked, shaking his fur.

I felt my heart split in two, falling into the pit of my stomach. I felt gravity pull me down, and my shoulders slumped. It was like an invisible force was pushing me down towards the earth, and I couldn't fight against the weight. I felt my head want to explode, and tears brimmed my eyes, my lungs constrained, tightening in my ribcage.

I started crying, but realized that this wasn't the perfect place nor was it the perfect time to. Help them out, he said, and that's what I was going to do. I quickly stood and watched as Riley went for Edward.

I looked to Bella who looked back at me, holding up a sharp stone. I appeared beside her, wielding a small rock as well. Knowing of the Quileute tribes as Seth told me about, we held them up.

"Together." Bella said.

"One, two," I counted. "Three." I said, striking the stone as strongly as possible against my hand just as Bella did to her arm.

The two red-eyed vampires looked up and made to lunge for us, but Edward threw them away.

I ran for Riley, my fists coming into contact with his sternum with all the force an angry and heartbroken hybrid could muster. He only fell back a few steps, his focus fixated on my bleeding fist. I then held my hand out to him to make him closer and just as his teeth were an inch away from me, Seth miraculously sprung up and grabbed him by the shoulder with his own enormous canines.

I froze as my heart fluttered at the sight of him, and I started shedding tears again. He started to drag the vampire away, and I followed closely behind.

Despite his pleas for his so-called mate, Victoria did not budge and we took him into the trees.

As Seth dragged him, I tore his legs off. Riley continued to scream in pain, and I almost felt sorry.

Almost.

"Why did you do it?!" I demanded, taking him by the collar as Seth tore his arms off. "Why did you kill all those innocent people?!"

Riley panted after he screamed. He caught his breath and looked up at me. "Because I loved her. She was my world."

"And look where that got you." I said, tossing his torn-off legs onto his chest.

"Who are you, anyway?" He asked cockily through the pain. "I'd like to know the name of the ones who kill me before I die. This whole time I thought it'd be the mindreader freak."

"He's not a freak, he's my brother. I'm Callie, and this is my mate, Seth." I explained. "Enjoy the ride to hell." I said with full ferocity in my eyes, as Seth ripped Riley's head off.

I looked up to the wolf, and I started tearing up again.

Don't cry. I only pretended so he could leave me alone first. He thought, moving his snout to the side of my face to comfort me. I have to go.

"What? Why?!" I asked, standing as he made to leave.

Alpha's orders. He said, disappearing into the trees.

I breathed and closed my eyes to calm myself down. I gathered all the pieces of Riley's body and piled them up, and took my lighter and threw it into the pile. The body parts combusted easily, and I watched as the flames grew bigger and engulfed the triple-dead teen.

I'm sorry it had to be like this for you. I thought, and walked back to where Edward and Bella were.

Edward looked up to me when I arrived.

Did you- He began.

Yes. I left him to burn. I replied grimly, watching Victoria's body catch fire just as Edward dropped the lit lighter.

"Are you alright, Bella?" I asked, reaching down to scoop some snow into my injured hand.

She nodded. "Are you?"

I nodded as well, and used the snow to somehow wash my blood off.

Edward came up to me after ripping what seemed to be another piece of Bella's shirt, and wrapped my hand in it.

"Thanks." I said, looking up at my brother's still unsatisfied face.

"Alice needs us to go. Now." He announced, and made Bella climb onto his back.

"What about Seth? Where is he?" She asked, panicked.

I shrugged sadly, and Edward replied:

"He's already there."

Responses to reviews:

minniebow14 - I WAS CRACKING UP EVILLY AS I READ YOUR REVIEW HAHAHA. I didn't let Seth lose control because, well... let's just say I'm saving it for later. BUT, let it be known that I will most definitely NOT be writing smut/sex scenes bc ew. On to the next thing, yeah, I made the cover myself! It was a little difficult finding a serious picture of Seth in HD but thank heavens I found this screencap from BD1 haha! And God knows I wish my imagination was made into motion picture canon, I have been searching for real-life lookalikes (not necessarily actresses) who could possibly play Callie, but I still havent found any. I did, however, see a beautiful headshot of Naomi Scott while looking for a face for Callie when I entered a role-play (which I inevitably quit on) and thus put her face on my character, but upon seeing more images of her in other angles, I simply decided that it wasn't the right fit to begin with. I think the Episode character I made of her DEFINITELY fits much, much better!

debbie hicks - so, you're back. tell me you're a computer or something?

lara-cat - thanks so much for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this next chapter!